Remotely actuated mechanical decoy-devices



Dec. 13, 1955 H. c. BECKER REMOTELY ACTUATED MECHANICAL DECOY-DEVICES Filed March 8, 1952 INVENTOR. HENRY C. BECKER W United States Patent 2,726,469 REMOTELY ACTUATED MECHANICAL DECOY-DEVICES Henry C. Becker, Hardin, 11]. Application March 8, 1952, Serial No. 275,576 Claims. (Cl. 433) This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in floating decoys and, more particularly, to a remotely actuated mechanical decoy-device.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a mechanically actuated floating decoy-device which is simple and rugged in construction and may be readily assembled or disassembled by the hunter for transportation from place to place.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a decoy of the type stated which may be actuated by the hunter from a remote distance so that the decoydevice can be located at a substantial distance in front of the hunters blind or station or from the shoreline of a body of Water.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mechanically actuated decoy-device in which a number of decoy-ducks may be attached and caused to float upon the surface of the water in a moving circle simulative of the movements of live ducks.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a remotely actuated mechanical decoy-device in which all the moving mechanism is completely submerged and out of view of the game-fowl to be attracted and decoyed thereby.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a mechanically actuated decoy-device constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention; I

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the decoydevice; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of mechanically actuated decoy-device also constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention. 7

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a mechanically actuated decoy-device comprising a casting or shell 1 preferably of open-topped cylindrical shape having a flat bottom wall 2 and being provided around its upper or open end with; an annular flange 3. Suitably bolted to the flange 3 is a fiat top wall or cover plate 4 and interposed therebetween is a gasket 5 forming a tight water-proof seal between the cover plate 4 and the interior of the shell or casting 1. Formed in the cover plate 4 is a small stuffing box 6 having an annular seal 7 and packing nut 8. The bottom wall of the stui ing box 6 and the packing nut 8 are coaxially drilled and the bottom wall is provided with a bearing collar 9 for rotatably receiving a shaft 10, which is operatively mounted at its lower end in a bearing 11 fitted within an upstanding recessed boss 12 formed integrally in the bottom wall 2 of the shell 1. Y

At its upper end, the shaft It) is turned down and threaded, as at 13, for receiving a washer 14 and retaining nut 15, and retentively secured upon the shaft between the washer 14 and nut 15 is a circular spider 16 having a peripheral rim or ring 17 provided with a plurality of uniformly spaced apertures 18 for receiving stud-bolts 19 and wing-nuts 20. Removably secured to the rim 17, by means of the stud-bolts 19 and wing-nuts 20, are radial arms 21 provided at their outer ends with upwardly extending eye-bolts 22 and link-rods 23, which are, in turn, at their upper ends, rockably attached to floating decoy-ducks 24. Although, in the drawing, only two such decoy-ducks 24 have been shown, it should be understood in this connection that any desired number of such decoy-ducks 24 may be supplied and attached to the rim 17. Many hunters prefer to use only one or two decoy-ducks and, on the other hand, other hunters prefer to use four, six, or eight such decoy-ducks.

Rigidly mounted in and extending radially outwardly from the side walls of the housing 1 is a plurality of uniformly spaced threaded studs 25 having wing-nuts 26 for engaging the inner ends of radial arms 27, the outer ends of which are bent in relatively large circular loops 28 for retentively encircling an inflatable float ring 29 formed preferably of rubber or other suitable material. Each loop 28 is provided on its under side with a depending eye 30 from which a depending anchor or pendulum-like box 31 is rockably suspended.

Formed integrally in and extending radially outwardly from the side wall of the shell or housing 1 is a lateral stufling box'32 provided with an annular packing ring 33 and packing nut 34. Upon its interior face, the stuffing box is provided with an'integrally formed, integrally extending, axially drilled, boss having an internal bearing sleeve 36 for operatively supporting a shaft 37, whichis, in turn, provided on its innerend with a bevel gear 38.for meshing engagement with a second bevel gear 39 keyed upon the shaft .10. Atits outer end, the shaft 37 is rigidly connected to a longflexible shaft it) which extends freely through a flexible shaft-tube 41, which is, in turn, connected at itsone end by a suitable fitting 42 to the exterior face of the shell or housing 1 and at its other end to a mounting bracket 43 having a relatively heavy base 44 for disposition in the hunters blind or shore-side station. The flexible shaft 40 is suitably journaledin the upper end of the bracket 43 and is provided with a radial operating handle 45 by which it may be manually turned.

For transportation from place to place, the wing-nuts 26 are removed and the arms 27 disconnected from the shell or housing 1.. The inflatable float-ring 29 is deflatedand may then be rolled up together with the arms 27 and the associated float-bob 31 into a relatively compact package. Similarly, the decoy-ducks 24, together with the associated link-rods'23' and arms 21, may be disconnected from the spider 16 by removal of the wingnut 20 and, finally, the retaining nut 15 may be removed from the upper threaded end 13 of the shaft 10, permitting removal of the spider 16, leaving the shell 1 and shaft 40 to be rolled up into a very compact package. Thus disassembled, the mechanical decoy A may .be stowed into a relatively small box or carrying case, which may be of any conventional design and is, therefore, not specifically illustrated or described herein.

When the hunter arrives at the blind or hunting station, the mechanical decoy A may be re-assembled and set afloat in the area in front of the blind. The flexible shaft 40 and shaft-tubing 41 may be of any desired length depending upon the amount of distance which the hunter Wishes to allow between the mechanical decoy A and his blind or shore-side hunting station. Ordinarily, this dis tance will be approximately forty to fifty feet although it portedby the submergedfloat and isanchored by the rocking anchors or pendulum-like weights 31 and further because the decoy-ducks 24 are similarly connected to the spider 16 by a rockable linkage, theentire device will rock gently with the movement of the wind and water in parting a gentle bobbing or rocking movement to the decoy-ducks 24 as they move around in their circular path. This combination of circular. and bobbing movement will impart to the decoy-ducks 24 an extremely life like and alluring appearance so that game-fowl will be quickly and readily attracted thereto. Since the entire mechanism is well submerged below the surface of the water, there will be nothing which will warn game-fowl or otherwise prevent them from settling down upon the surface of the water in the immediate vicinity of the decoy-device A.

If desired, it is possible to provide a modified form of decoy-device A, which is substantially identical in all respects to the previously described decoy-device A including a pot-shaped shell or housing 1, a shaft and a spider 16, all substantially identical to the previously described housing 1, shaft 10, and spider 16. The shaft 10 is provided, on its internal lower end, with a gear or pinion 46, which meshes with a substantially larger spur gear 47, the latter, in turn, being keyed upon the shaft 48 of a fractional horsepower electric motor 59 conventionally connected by means of a waterproof cabl or conduit 59 to a source of electric power located onshore and controlled by a conventional arrangement of switches and resistances or rhcostats. The power source switches and rheostats being entirely conventional have not been illustrated or described herein.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the remotely actuated mechanical decoy-device may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention as defined by the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a group of floating decoys of an operating mechanism including a closed, watertight, hollow housing, an annular float removably attached to, and extending around, said housing, a shaft rotatably mounted in and extending upwardly from said housing, and means for removably connecting said decoys to said shaft in angularly spaced relation thereabout; weight means connected to said operating mechanism and being heavy enough to offset the buoyancy of said mechanism but not heavy enough to offset the combined buoyancy of said decoys and said mechanism, whereby to cause said mechanism to assume a free floating but fully submerged position below the surface of a body of water; and means operatively connected to said shaft and extending outwardly from said housing whereby the shaft may be rotated from a remote location.

2. The combination with a group of floating decoys of an operating mechanism including a closed, watertight, hollow housing, an annular float removably attached to, and extending around, said housing, a shaft rotatably mounted in and extending upwardly from said housing, and means for removably connecting said decoys to said shaft in angularly spaced relation thereabout; weight means connected to said operating mechanism and being heavy enough to offset the buoyancy of said mechanism but not heavy enough to offset the combined buoyancy of said decoys and said mechanism, whereby to cause said mechanism to assume a free floating but fully sub-- merged position below the surface of a body of water; and a flexible shaft operatively connected to said shaft and extending outwardly from said housing whereby the shaft may be rotated from a remotelocation.

3. Mechanical decoy apparatus comprising a closed, water-tight, hollow housing, an annular float removably what I claim attached to, and extending around, said housing, a shaft rotatably mounted in and extending upwardly from said housing, a plurality of floating decoys, means removably connecting said decoys to said shaft in angularly spaced relation thereabout for limitedmovement relative to the shaft, a plurality of weights removably connected to and depending from said annular float in spaced relation therearound, the combination of said weights being heavy enough to offset the buoyancy of said housing and said float but not heavy enough to offset the combined buoyancy of said housing, said float, and said decoys, whereby to cause said housing and said float to assume a free floating but fully submerged position below the surface of the body of water, and means operatively connected to said shaft and extending outwardly from said housing whereby said shaft may be rotated from a remote location.

4. Mechanical decoy apparatus comprising a closed, water-tight, hollow housing, an annular float removably attached to, and extending around, said housing, a shaft rotatably mounted in and extending upwardly from said housing, a rotating member fixed to the upper end of said shaft, a plurality of floating decoys, means extending upwardly from said member at points spaced about the axis of said shaft and spaced radially from said shaft for swing ably connecting said decoys to said member, a plurality of weights removably connected to and depending from said annular float in spaced relation therearound, the combination of said weights being heavy enough to offset buoyancy of said housing and said float but not heavy enough to offset the combined buoyancy of said housing, said float, and said decoys, whereby to cause said housing, said float and said member to assume a free floating but fully submerged position below the surface of the body of water, and means operatively connected to said shaft and extending outwardly from said housing whereby said shaft may be rotated from a remote location.

5. Mechanical decoy apparatus comprising a closed, water-tight, hollow housing, a shaft rotatably mounted and extending upwardly from said housing, gear means in said housing for rotating said shaft, an annular ring member rigidly fixed to the upper end of said shaft but being removable therefrom, a plurality of arms removably but fixedly connected to said ring so as to extend radially outwardly therefrom, a plurality of floating decoy ducks, means for swingably connecting each of said docoy ducks to an outer portion of an arm for movement relative to such arm about more than one axis, an inflatable annular float removably attached to and extending around said housing, a plurality of weights removably connected to and depending from said annular float in spaced relation therearound, the combination of said weights being heavy enough to offset the buoyancy of said housing and said float but not heavy enough to offset the combined buoyancy of said housing, said float, and said decoys, whereby to cause said housing, said ring member, said arms, and said float to assume a free floating but fully submerged position below the surface of the body of water, and a flexible shaft connected to said gear means and extending outwardly from said housing whereby said shaft may be rotated from a remote location.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 527,962 Gardy Oct. 23, 1894 604,164 Wilde et al May 17, 1898 1,036,742 \Vright Feb. 10, 1914 1,150,816 Evans Aug. 17, 1915 1,376,282 Kauffman Apr. 26, 1921 1,609,922 Wiig Dec. 7, 1926 1,869,186 Davidson July 26, 1932 2,173,963 Eubank Sept. 26, 1939 2,327,168 Bucknell Aug. 17, 1943 2,547,286 Sabin Apr. 3, 1951 

